Drive
by Noctisferrae
Summary: A young Galbadian sets out for a midnight drive, the driving rain only reflecting his heart...And the story begins.(Laguna)


_Author's Note:  From what I've gathered, I need to make note of the fact that neither Final Fantasy Eight nor its characters belong to me.  Laguna, Deling City, and other names directly taken from FF8 are the property of Squaresoft, and I merely write for the enjoyment of it and for the expansion of character, not for profit.  Thank you._

_Author's Further Note:  Any formatting troubles may be blamed on my rusty HTML and my inexperience in uploading files._

The rain pours on, slamming into the hard windshield of the small rental car, its red paint assaulted by this strange force, and its utter lack of damage seemingly…a miracle.  How could anything travel in such weather, exist in such times, without being horribly destroyed, broken beyond repair?  What divine being influenced the world this night to save this car, flimsy roof kept up, from the elements and from the recklessness of its own driver, whose foolishness had been shown so many times before.  Obviously, whatever was out there had some sense of humor, or a demented perversion of a liking for the man…if the being inside could even be called such, yet.  

Ah, that driver…whom was he to defy the rules of caution this night?  He had long-since departed from the road, the bright lights of Deling City long behind, now…this boy was angry, and not much of a driver to begin with.  Long, black hair flowed from him, currently tied back in a ponytail over his striped red shirt, broad bands of green serving to further adorn it, while his soft features conveyed something completely alien to his entire being…Anger certainly did not suit the young Loire boy.  His features were convoluted into an incredibly odd shape, a crazy attempt to hold back the tears he so desperately wanted to loose.  How convenient it was, then, that the skies had already opened and reflected that which lay within Laguna's heart…the pain, the chaos…the strife.  He still wasn't sure where he managed to find the gil to rent this car…His father had stopped giving him money for that kind of thing long ago, when he stopped wanting to hear his stories…or to tell any of his own.  Sighing, a moment, Laguna closes his eyes, hands still on the wheel, letting his feet loose without a second thought.  The wipers continue to pound back and forth, back and forth, lulling Laguna to sleep…

            Until, that is, a jolt shakes the young one from his silence, causing him to bite down rather hard upon his tongue…The pain, mixed with the sudden confusion, nearly makes him lose control, as the car skids, a bit, turning and twisting…And is suddenly wrenched back into place by a panting, struggling Laguna, nearly grinding the brake pedal into the ground.  A lucky enough thing it was, after all, that he had stopped…He was quiet close to the end of a little hill he had made it onto, and, had he continued, would have been pitched forward onto the beach below, or into the water, depending upon his luck.  He really couldn't count on luck, very well, in that case…the drop alone would cause substantial injury.  Of course, he hadn't thought of that…any of it.  For the moment, even through the turmoil within his being…He was considering exactly how much his tongue hurt.  It did, and it hurt quite a bit, at that.  …Just another penny onto the pile, then, it was.  It was another stone to be thrown at him, to descend with him into whatever pit he seemed to have fallen into…

            Despite the heavy rain, the rolling thunder overhead…Laguna simply starts to feel claustrophobic.  Shuddering, slightly, he kicks open the door of the car, twisting the handle, and drags himself out with surprising speed, denim pants managing not to get caught…The blue is dark, and shows clearly against the deep red of the car's exterior…Which one might expect to be harmed, from all of this.  Very little dirt or mud has even collected on it…Once more, it seems that something looks over him, a presence…Perhaps his own.  It doesn't matter to him, for now…Running a hand through his hair, idly, he looks around, blinking at the rain….Closing the door, Laguna runs to a nearby rock outcropping, crouching under it for shelter and moving to a sitting position, gazing out over the chaotic ocean.  The water seemed almost calming, for the moment, and another sigh escapes Laguna's lips.  Shaking his head, he leans backward, resting on the cool strength of the damp rock, lounging backwards, hoping to forget everything, if only just for a time…He was, quite simply, not accustomed to feeling this way.  It couldn't last, but…to him, it seemed like it might never end, these feelings of…Indescribable cold.  Nothing could be done…Nothing could be done but to be drawn back into the memory.  

            _"Heeeeey!"  The cheerful Loire boy made his way into the house, closing the door behind him and smiling as he noticed his mother sitting on the couch, there, by the window.  She was in plain sight, and usually a happy one, at that…She was very pretty, and had a spirit to match her face, even at her age.  In his usual style, he simply took as a matter of course that her smile would be there, clearly picturing it as he leaps down to sit on the many-cushioned blue chair, propping up his feet and folding his hands behind his back.  "How goes th-"_

_             "Laguna."  That powerful, deep voice was more than enough to stop Laguna in his tracks, its cold, unloving tone…He shuddered merely at the thought of turning into a man like that.  …Yet, the voice continues, the man behind it immaculately dressed in a suit, tie perfect…Just as the rest of him.  The soft features have been chiseled into a monument to strength and coldness, and the head of the Loire family turns his eyes, a deep, pitiless green, upon his son…"You missed the meeting, this afternoon.  I instructed you to arrive at three o'clock.  I waited.  And, I waited.  I waited still longer, but at six o'clock, I was forced to allow those I had gathered to help you to depart."  Another glare, as Mr. Loire quietly walks toward his wife and sits, posture perfect.  Only now does Laguna notice his mother's expression…Sadness.  There is no smile, there, none of her usual twinkle.  There is the resignation all children see when their parents believe the lives they brought into the world are being wasted…Laguna could not place this, but he knew it felt…Wrong.  He braced himself against what was to come, though not knowing how or why…"…Dad…" _

_             "I do not need your excuses, Laguna.  What I needed was your presence.  You will never be able to take over the practi-"  It takes strong expression to really stop this man…That expression was seen, even through Laguna's reluctant tone, as he cuts his father off.  "I'm not taking of the practice!  I want to be free…to see the world!"  …Laguna's words fell on deaf ears and cold eyes, his mother watching, quietly being torn apart.  The next words didn't matter…All of it was a blur, anyway.  Only the last bits of it caught Laguna's memory, and were important.  Only the last…Of his slamming the door and rushing out of their home, heading out into the bright lights of Deling City…_

 And so, Laguna found himself under these rocks, staring outward, sadly…He could not stay with his parents, in his home…He loved them, but they'd force him into what he couldn't stand doing…They'd make him into his father.  …Maybe, though…Maybe…Aha!  That was it!  

            Laguna's smile lights his face, once more, as his master plan comes into being…He had seen a military recruitment board on his way out of the city, as he took the keys to that car and just kept going…The Army!  He could help himself out…Get freedom.  Adventure…His parents would be happy, and they'd be without him at last…He could…He /could/ see the world!  …And…Maybe…Maybe everything would turn out all right, after all…Hey!  Why not?  It was life!  He was young…He could take anything!  You only had to have the right plan!  You could go, and…if you didn't let it, nothing could keep you down!  I_'Yes!'_/I

            Leaping up in his joy, despite the continuing harshness around him, Laguna immediately…Hits his head on the rock sheltering him.  Falling, he supports himself with one hand on the ground, the left reaching up to massage his scalp.  "…Owww…."  More pain, but…suddenly, it didn't hurt so much, anymore.  It was time…Time to go!  "Gerrrrrrrrooooooooooooonimmmmmoooooooooooooo!"  With that, Laguna clutches his arms in his chest and rushes toward his car, scrambling in and becoming totally soaked…but, uninjured.  He'd go, and he'd join up right now!…Things could only get better.


End file.
